Flush handle type trailer door lock



1952 A. R. ADAMS El AL FLUSH HANDLE TYPE TRAILER DOOR LOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct 7, 1948 INVENTORS ADAMS ART ER FA HUR R. a DONNELL GRIZZARD ATTORNEY Dec. 23, 1952 A. R. ADAMS ET AL FLUSH HANDLE TYPE TRAILER DOOR LOCK Filed Oct. 7, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 33 LH 3O 2 44 L J'|| 3s 3 42 a? z 41 l 1 3 I 'l i o W 'H 4o 4 34 f) h C 39 r: Q Mun |l 4| AW 67 43 g 23 82 as 8419-0 3| 0 4' 5 2 e 5 47: I so 78 f g I m 28 1 l G "H \l fl *i F8 59 I h I E g Q f-- 1 I 2| 22 u zo :2, 7 gjh l 3| 58 6 I I1 .6 se, -\L 3g I 23 J In 27 2 r g-g I: 2 GI 75 II 53 INVENTORS ARTHUR R. ADAMS EARLE DONNELL GRIZZARD FRANK R. COLLAR r ATTORNEY Dec. 23, 1952 A, R, ADAMS ETAL 2,622,430

FLUSH HANDLE TYPE TRAILER DOOR LOCK Filed 001;- 7, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ARTHUR- R. ADAMS EARLE DONNELL GRIZZARD FRANK R. COLLAR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUSH HANDLE TYPE TRAILER DOOR LOCK California Application October 7, 1948, Serial N 0. 53,242

'7 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to locks, and is more particularly concerned with a lock for vehicles which is especially adaptedfor use on trailer doors to provide a lock assembly having manually actuatable parts substantially fiush or semi-flush with the door surface.

. One object of the herein described invention is to provide a door lock having a novel arrangement of operatively associated parts which will result in exceptional strength; which is economical to produce; and which is simple to install, and may be readily varied to meet different installation requirements, such as difierent door thicknesses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lock mechanism consisting of a unitary assembly in which the parts are retained in assembled relation without the use of screws; which embodies removably associated operating handles for the unit assembly; and a lock mechanism which may be utilized with or without escutcheon plates.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a door lock of improved design particularly adaptable for vehicles such as trailers, which includes a novel streamlined outer handle and outer escutcheon plate assembly containing a key locking cylinder which serves as a securing medium for retaining the escutcheon plate and handle in assembled relation; and wherein parts of the handle are so arranged as to make sealing engagement with the escutcheon plates, in normal locked position of the handle.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following. part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations on the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a door upon which the lock of the present inven-- tially on line 55 of Fig. 3 in order to disclose constructional details of the locking bar;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section, taken substantially on line 6-45 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is an exploded view in perspective of the streamlined handle and associated escutcheon plate assembly; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view through such assembly, taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

The lock of the present invention is adapted for mounting on doors of either right or left hand type, and as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is arranged for mounting in the door, as generally indicated by the numeral l0, adjacent its free swinging edge. The details of mounting will subsequently be described.

In its broad concept, the lock comprises a locking mechanism A which is fabricated as a unitary assembly of such design as to permit its being disposed in a round or square hole (not shown), in the door. and a passage connecting with the door edge for receiving a bolt l l therein. The locking mechanism A is supported between inner and outer escutcheon plates I2 and i3, respectively.

The inner escutcheon plate [2 is disclosed as being substantially of rectangular formation and is secured to the adjacent door face as by screws 14. Associated with this escutcheon plate is a handle l5 which is connectively mounted for bolt actuating movements by swinging through a plane substantially parallel with the face of the adjacent escutcheon plate l2, or as shown for swinging movements about a substantially horizontal axis.

The outer escutcheon plate i3 is secured to the adjacent face of the door by anchoring screws I6 and is associated with a bolt actuating handle I! supported for swinging movements in a plane at right angles to the face of the associated escutcheon plate l3, or about a vertical axis as shown. With the handle thus mounted, the bolt will be actuated to retracted or unlocked position by applying a pulling force against the handle, this pulling force being in such direction that it will also operate to move the unlocked door towards opened position. The escutcheon plate 13 and associated handle ll are so fabricated as to form a streamlined assembly on the outside of the door, which is substantially flush or semi-flush in order to eliminate projecting parts which might catch or hook onto an object or a persons clothing. In the normal position .of the handle H, the respective end portions of the handle are seated within upset or embossed facing U-shaped portions I8 and I9, respectively, of the escutcheon plate surface.

The bolt II is constructed with a shank portion 29 which is fabricated from a strap or bar material of substantially rectangular cross-section, and a separate head piece 2I which is secured to an end of the shank portion as by rivets 22 or other suitable means. The shank end of the bolt, which is connected to the head piece 2 I may be initially fabricated of sufiicient length to permit adapting the bolt for different door installations by merely cutting off the shank end to desired length and riveting the head piece thereto. The head piece is conventionally provided with a bevelled face 23 for engaging the usual strike (not shown). As shown in Fig. 1, a door edge plate 24 is provided on the door, this plate having an aperture through which the head piece of the bolt projects.

As shown in Fig. 3, the opposite end of the shank 29, from that to which the head piece 2I is secured, is supported edgewise between spaced inner and outer frame plates 25 and 26, respectively, with rounded corners so that these frame plates will be of generally circular or disk shape. The frame plates 25 and 26 are assembled in superposed confronting relation and are held apart by a plurality of out turned spacing projections 21 formed on one of the plates, in this instance the frame plate 25. The plates 25 and 26 are secured in assembled position by tongue members 28 of a side bracket 29, which are adapted to extend through aligned openings 39 and 3! formed in the plates 25 and 26, the tip end of the tongue member being spread or riveted over, as indicated by the numeral 32 in Fig. 6.

The plates 25 and 26 serve to support the shank 29 of the bolt in edgewise position, and provision is made for preventing longitudinal tilting of the bolt and for guiding it during axial reciprocal movement to locked and unlocked positions. FOr such purpose, as shown in Fig. 4, the plate 25 is provided on opposite sides with inwardly extending edge notches 33 and 34, respectively; and the shank portion 26 of the bolt is provided with an edge notch 35 intermediate its end, one side of this notch having its marginal edge portion deflected to form a projecting lug 36 adapted to move in the notch 33 during reciprocal movements of the bolt.

The right end of the shank 29, as seen in Fig. 4, is provided with a contracted end portion 31 at one end of a slot 38 on the bolt axis, the tip of the contracted end portion being deflected to provide a projecting lug 39. This lug 39 extends into the notch 34 and rides therein during reciprocal movements of the bolt. The lugs 33 and 39 being thus axially spaced apart on the bolt shank coact with their associated notches 33 and 34 to support the bolt against longitudinal tilting, and also serve to limit the axial movement of the bolt in opposite directions. It will be observed that movement of the bolt toward the right will be limited by a lug 49 at the innermost end of the notch 33, this lug being deflected from the material of plate 25 and forming a projection in the path of movement of the lug 36 of the bolt shank. Moreover, movement of the bolt towards the left, as viewed in Fig. 4, will be limited by the abutment of lug 39 against shoulders 4I-4I formed at the innermost end of notch 34 by a narrow notch 42 which forms a continuation of the notch 34 and is arranged to register more or less with the notch 38 in the '4 bolt during reciprocal movements thereof. The bolt II is normally biased towards locked or extended position, as shown in Fig. 4, by means of a coiled spring 43 having one end anchored to the plate 25, and its other end, as shown at 44 hearing against the lug 36.

As previously stated, provision is made for selectively operating the bolt II by actuation of the handle I5 or the handle I'I. As shown in Fig. 3 the handle I5 at one end is secured by a slip connection to a projecting end of a spindle 45 which is rotatively supported in the frame plates 25 and 26 and projects therefrom perpendicularly to the escutcheon plate I2, passing through a suitable opening therein. The handle I5 is removably secured to the associated end of the spindle 45 by a screw 46. At the other end of the spindle 45, there is connected a spindle cam 47 having a projecting arm portion 48 which extends between the lug 46 of plate 25 and an edge 49 at one end of the notch 35 in the bolt. The spindle cam is likewise retained between the frame plates 25 and 26.

The spindle cam is also provided with a projecting boss 56 which is arranged to move through a dead center position with respect to the end of a spring 5|, supported on the frame plate 25, to form a resilient detent for releasably retaining the handle I5 in normal position when bolt II is moved to unlocked position.

For operation of the bolt I I by means of handle I1, the handle is pivotally mounted adjacent one end by providing projecting spaced lugs 5252 which are rotatably mounted on a pivot pin 53 having its ends respectively anchored in the top and bottom legs 54 and 55 of the bracket 29. Thi bracket, as shown in Fig. 7, is substantially U-shaped with an integrally formed bridging portion 56. An actuating cam member 51 is positioned between the lugs 52-52 for concerted movement therewith, this cam member having a projecting offset arm 58 which extends through a slot 59 in the frame plate 26, the slot 38 in the shank 20 of the bolt I I, and aligned notch 42 in the plate 25. The handle I! is normally biased towards its full line position as shown in Fig. 3, by means of a coiled spring 69 surroundin one end of the pivot pin 53 and anchored at one end to the bracket 29 and at its other end bearing against one of the lugs 52 at a point between the pivot pin and associated end of the handle I'I. Actuation of the bolt II by means of the handle I! is accomplished by manually moving the free end of the handle from its full line position as shown in Fig. 3 to the dotted line position as shown in this figure. This movement of the handle moves the arm 58 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6, into engagement with lug 39 of the bolt, and thus carries the bolt to the right in a retracting or unlocking direction.

As shown in Fig. 4, the slot 38 and notch 42 extend past the normal position of the arm 58, so that actuation of the bolt by the handle I5 may be accomplished to move the bolt in a retracting direction without affecting or moving the handle I'I. Likewise, it will be observed that movement of the arm 58 against the lug 39 to move the bolt to retracted position will act to move the edge 49 of the notch 35 away from the arm 48 so that there will in this case be no tendency to move the handle I5. Thus, the handles I5 and I! may be independently actuated to move the bolt II.

The lock is further arranged so that the handle I! may be locked against movement in a bolt actuating direction, and such locking may b accomplished from either the outside or inside of the door. The locking operation also functions to deadlock the bolt against retractive movement in order to prevent accidental locking of the door when open. The mechanism is further arranged so that upon actuation of the handle IE to move the bolt to retracted position, the movement of the handle will actuate the locking means so as to release the deadlocked bolt and the handle H. For such purpose, a lock bar 6| in the form of a multi-armed plate member is pivotally mounted in face engagement with the opposite surface of frame plate 26 from that on which the bolt is positioned. The lock bar is swingably supported on a pivot pin 62. The lock bar 6| comprises divergent angularly disposed arms 63 and 64, respectively, which extend generally outwardly from the pivotal axis of the bar.

Actuation of the locking bar from a position adjacent handle I5 is accomplished through movement of a stud member 65 which extends through arcuate aligned slots 66, 61 and 66, in the escutcheon plate I2, the frame plate 25 and frame plate 26, respectively. One end of the stud is connected to the outer end of arm 64, while the opposite end of the stud is fitted with a knob or button 69 which is engageable by the fingers to manually shift the stud and thus move the locking bar to locked and unlocked positions.

Inwardly spaced from the outer end of arm 6:1; is a projecting lug 16 which is so arranged that, upon movement of the locking bar to locking position, it will pass under a shoulder ll at the innermost end of the arm 58 of the cam member 51. 6, the lug 16 forms an abutment which opposes swinging movement of the handle H in a boltretracting direction. Referring again to Fig. 5, the arm 64 also carries a projecting lug ?2 which extends in the opposite direction from lug l6 and passes through a notched edge 13 of the leg 55 of side bracket 29. This lug 72 serves to retain the arm 64 in face engagement with the adjacent surface of plate 26 and additionally provides a reenforced structure.

For actuating the locking bar from a position adjacent the handle ll, there is provided a keycontrolled cylinder lock M having a conventional cam member 15 which is movable within a slot 16 of the lock bar 6! abutment of the cam member against the respective ends of the slot acting to move the lock bar to locked and unlocked positions.

The stud 65 further serves as means for deadlocking the bolt l I against movement to retracted position. As shown clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, movement of the lock bar to locked position carries the stud 65 to the upper end of the arcuate slots 67 and B8, in which position the stud is in front of a shoulder ll on the adjacent end of the bolt shank 29, so that in this position the stud 65 blocks movement of the bolt to retracted position.

Resilient detent means are provided for releasably retaining the lock bar in locked or unlocked positions. For such urpose, spaced dwell recesses 18 and 19 are provided at the outermost end of arm 63 of the lock bar. A leaf spring 39 has one of its ends anchored on the bracket 29 and its other end BI positioned for pressure seating in one or the other of the recesses 18 or 19, depending upon the position of the lock bar.

Auxiliary means are also provided for actuating the lock bar 6| to unlocked position upon movement of the handle l5 in a bolt retracting direction. As shown i 7 .v Fi 4 and 5, thespindle In the locked position, as best shown in Fig.

cam 41 carries a crank pin 82. arranged upon counter-clockwise rotation of the spindle to impinge against the tip end 83 of a projecting portion 84 of the arm 63. In the locked position of the lock bar 6|, the tip end 83 is disposed in the path of movement of the crank pin 82 so that, when the pin engages against the tip end, the projecting portion 84 will be moved in a clockwise direction with respect to pivot pin 62 of the lock bar, thus carrying the stud 65 and lock bar to unlocked position with respect to the bolt H and the handle 11.

The lock mechanism described above constitutes a unitary assembly which is susceptible of use with or without escutcheon plates, although in the usual installation escutcheon plates will be utilized.

In carrying out the feature of the invention, which permits the lock to be readily adapted. for doors of varied thickness, means are provided for adjustably varying the space between the escutcheon plates. As shown in Fig. 6, and as will subsequently be described in detail, the assembled position of the outer escutcheon plate I3 is fixed with respect to the frame plates 25 and 26. The position of escutcheon plate l2, however, is variable to accommodate the lock for different door thicknesses as may be required for different installations.

More specifically, the escutcheon plate I2 is secured to frame plate 25 by a plurality of spaced attaching screws 85 which extend through tubular spacer members 86 interposed between the escutcheon plate and frame 25. The. tubular spacer members may be furnished in various lengths so as to enable selection of spacers of the required length to accommodate the lock to a door of specified thickness.

In Fig. '7, the various parts, which permit the unique assembly of the escutcheon plate l3 and lock mechanism, have been shown in an exploded view. The embossed or upset portion is defines a notched opening or passage 81 which is adapted to receive therein and permit swinging movement of the innermost end of the handle II. An opening 88 is also provided in the bracket bridging portion 56 for a similar purpose; the opening 88 being arranged to register with the opening 81, when the escutcheon plate 13 is in mounted position on the bracket 29.

At the right side of the bracket 29, the leg portions 54 and 55 are extended to form spaced projecting tongues 89--89 adapted to overlie a marginal edge surface 99 of the escutcheon plate l3 in its assembled position. At the left side of the bracket 29, the bracket bridging portion 56 is extended to form a projecting lug 9! which is provided with an opening 92 adapted to register with an opening 93 of the raised surface portion N3 of the escutcheon plate H3 in its assembled position.

The escutcheon plate I3 is assembled by passing the outer end of handle l1 through the opening 81. The tongues 89-439 are manipulated through the adjacent end of the opening 81 into a position overlying the marginal edge surface in interlocking engagement with the escutcheon plate l3. The bridging portion 56 of the bracket 29 is then seated within the surface portion I8 with the openings 52 and 93 in aligned registration so as to receive the threaded portion 94 of the key controlled cylinder lock M therethrough. This cylinder lock is provided with a head portion 95 which will abut the edge arsi i 0f penin 93; d: limit insertionof.

the key controlled cylinder lock into the openings 92 and 93. The lock cylinder threaded portion 94 is then engaged by a threaded nut 96 which, when tightened, will cooperate with the head portion 95 to secure the escutcheon plate l3 in assembled position on the bracket 29. This novel securing means eliminates the use of additional securing members, such as screws and the like, and the key controlled cylinder lock is additionally utilized in a novel manner to perform the further function of a securing member for the escutcheon plate l3.

The innermost end of the handle I! is sealed against entrance of dust and foreign objects. The right end portion of the opening 81 of the escutcheon plate I3 is provided with inwardly projecting marginal edge flanges 91-91 which have their innermost edges in close proximity to the adjacent surfaces of the lugs 5252. In order to permit swinging movement of this end of the handle I! in an inward direction, this end of the handle is provided with an end projecting flange 98 which will extend over the inner surface of the marginal end portions of the left end of the opening 81 so as to in effect form in a normal position of the handle I! a sealing flange extension of the flanges 91-91. A weatherproof assemblage is thus provided so that trouble-free operation is assured even in freezing weather, and the handle I! may be easily loosened in the event that ice is formed thereon.

We claim as our invention:

1. A door lock comprising: a frame structure; an elongate bolt member guidingly supported in said frame structure for limited reciprocal axial movements and restrained against longitudinal tilting; means on one side of said bolt including a handle pivotally swingable in one plane to retract the bolt; means on the opposite side of said bolt including a handle pivotally swingable in a plane at right angles to said one plane to retract the bolt, said handles being independently actuatable; means resiliently biasing said bolt towards locking position; locking means operable from a position adjacent one of said handles for dead locking said bolt in locked position and looking one of said handles against movement in a direction to retract the bolt; and means operable in response to the movement of the other of said handles in a bolt retracting direction for releasing said locking means.

2. A door lock comprising: a frame structure; an elongate bolt member guidingly supported in said frame structure for limited reciprocal axial movements and restrained against longitudinal tilting; means on one side of said bolt including a handle pivotally swingable in one plane to retract the bolt; means on the opposite side of said bolt including a handle pivotally swingable in a plane at right angles to said one plane to retract the bolt, said handles being independently actuatable; means resiliently biasing said bolt towards locking position; locking means operable from a position adjacent one of said handles selectively to a dead locking position and a released position with respect to said bolt in locked position thereof; and a connection between one of said handles and said selective locking means for actuating the latter to released position, upon movement of the former in a bolt retracting direction.

3. A door lock comprising: a frame structure including a pair of frame plate members supported with confronting plane surfaces in spaced apart lelation; an elongate bolt supported edgewise between said confronting surfaces for longitudinal movements; interfitting parts on at least one of said frame members and said bolt for guiding the bolt movements; mean including handles on the opposite sides of said frame structure for independently actuating said bolt; a rotatably mounted locking bar on the opposite side of one of said frame plate members from the bolt; manually operable means for actuating the looking bar from one side of the frame structure into and out of a position locking one of said handles against bolt actuation movement; key controlled means for similarly actuating the locking bar from the opposite side of the frame structure; and a connection with the other of said handles for actuating the locking bar out of locking position, upon bolt actuation by said other of said handles.

4. A door lock comprising: a frame structure including a, pair of frame plate members supported with confronting plane surfaces in spaced apart relation; an elongate bolt supported edgewise between said confronting surfaces for longitudinal movements; interfitting parts on at least one of said frame members and said bolt for guiding the bolt movements; means including a pair of handles on the opposite sides of said frame structure for actuating said bolt; a relatively fiat locking bar rotatably supported in face engagement on an opposite side of one of said frame plate members from the bolt, said bar having associated parts swingable with the bar into and out of a position dead locking said bolt and locking one of said handles against bolt actuation movement; and a connection between the other handle and said bar for moving the bar out of said locking position upon actuation of the bolt by said other handle.

5. In a door look: a bolt; a frame structure operatively supporting said bolt; a bolt actuating handle pivotally mounted on said frame structure for swinging movements; a tongue projecting from said frame structure; an escutcheon plate having an edge portion positionable under said tongue to interlock the escutcheon plate and frame structure; and key actuatable locking means for said bolt including a key cylinder mounted in the escutcheon plate and frame structure so as to retain the tongue and escutcheon plate against disengagement.

6. In a door look: a bolt; a frame structure operatively supporting said bolt; a bolt actuating handle pivotally mounted on said frame structure for swinging movements; a tongue projecting from said frame structure on one side of the pivot mounting of said handle, said frame structure having an opening on the opposite side of said pivot mounting from said tongue; an escutcheon plate having an opening for receiving a portion of said handle therethrough and a surface adjacent said escutcheon plate opening adapted to extend under said tongue, said escutcheon plate having a second opening adapted to register with the frame opening, when said surface is positioned under said tongue; and key actuatable locking means for said bolt including a key cylinder mounted in said registered openings, whereby the escutcheon plate is secured to said frame structure.

7. A door lock comprising: a bolt; a frame structure for supporting the bolt including a bracket at one side; a handle for actuating said bolt pivoted on said bracket for swinging movements in a horizontal plane; an escutcheon plate removably mounted on said bracket and having REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Sparks et a1 July 5, 1904 Young May 7, 1912 S'choell Aug. 14, 1917 Archer et a1. June 9, 1925 Schlage Jan. 23, 1934 Kuszmaul Apr. 6, 1937 Mace Feb. 1, 1938 Schoch Feb. 6, 1940 Wartian May 21, 1940 King Nov. 19, 1940 George May 2, 1944 Claud-Mantle Sept. 16, 1947 

